spacetoday.net: Boeing to perform second Starliner uncrewed test flight

Posted: Fri, Apr 10, 2020, 6:56 PM ET (2256 GMT)
CST-100 Starliner on pad for OFT launch (ULA)

Boeing announced Monday it will perform a second uncrewed test flight of its CST-100 Starliner commercial crew spacecraft. The company said it would effectively refly the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission "to demonstrate the quality of the Starliner system." The first uncrewed test flight, in December, suffered problems that shortened the mission and prevented the spacecraft from docking with the International Space Station. NASA said last month an independent review identified 61 corrective actions for the company, but the agency said then it had not decided if Boeing would need to redo the test flight before it would allow astronauts on Starliner. A date for the second OFT mission hasn't been set yet, but Boeing said it would likely be this fall.